Dear parents, grandparents, guardians and education activists,

We had a wonderful 10th anniversary Bronx parent conference on Saturday, Nov. 9! Thank you so much to those of you who joined us and especially to our incredible Bronx parent conference planning committee for putting together such an uplifting and empowering event.

See more pictures from the conference »

If you couldn't make it this year, don't worry. There are tons of other great upcoming events and opportunities for Bronx parents to become empowered. Check some of them out below.

In unity,

Nicholas Cruz
UFT Director of Community and Parent Engagement
ncruz@uft.org

Upcoming events

• Thursday, Nov. 21: There will be a job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bronx Workforce1 Career Center at 400 E. Fordham Road, 7th floor. Bring several copies of your resume and dress for a job interview. See the flier »

• Saturday, Dec. 14: The International School for Liberal Arts (ISLA) will host a free coat and winter wear distribution event from 9 a.m. to noon at 2780 Reservoir Ave. New and gently used coats, scarves, hats, gloves and winter footwear in all sizes will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. See the flier in English and Spanish »
  
  You can also make donations to the coat and winter wear drive at 2780 Reservoir Ave., room 129, until Wednesday, Dec. 11. If you have any questions, call 718-329-8570, ext. 5101.

• Friday, Jan. 24: There will be a non-profit incorporation and tax exemption workshop from 9 a.m. to noon at Hostos Cafe C Building, 450 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Refreshments will be served. Register now »

• Friday, Feb. 28: Save the date for our annual Bronx UFT college fair, where students can meet with representatives from colleges, learn about admissions and financial aid, and get other support. We'll be in touch in the new year with more details and registration information.

• Saturday, April 4: The UFT will host our 5th annual Men in Education Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway in Manhattan. There will be workshops about mentoring, fatherhood and empowerment. For a flier and to register, see the event listing »

Take action

• Census grants and organizing: Help get out the word about the 2020 Census! The Census will "determine how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are distributed for basic services, including for hospitals, schools, roads, affordable housing, nutrition programs and more," according to City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. That's why there's a massive effort underway to make every New Yorker count.
  
  The New York City Complete Count Fund is allocating $19 million in grants for community efforts to educate and mobilize around the 2020 Census. Find out more »
  
  The city is also looking for volunteer Census ambassadors to do community outreach and improve the city's response rate. Find out more »

• Tell the DOE not to share your contact information: The UFT worked with parent activists to win parents the right to protect their children's privacy. Now, if you don't want charter schools to have your mailing address, name, child's name and child's grade level, you can withhold this information. In December, schools will send home a paper opt-out form which you can fill out and return to your child's school. You also can opt out by filling out an online form. You'll need your child's student ID number. If you don't have your child's student ID number, you can call your child's school to get it. Fill out the online opt-out form »

• Help the effort to have a full-time counselor in every elementary school: Most public elementary schools in the city have a school counselor only part-time or don't have a counselor at all. If you want to be part of a UFT campaign to get a full-time school counselor in every elementary school to assist with bullying, anxiety, concerns about school work or other issues, please fill out the UFT’s short survey and sign up for the campaign. Take the survey »

• Get a free anti-bullying workshop from the UFT: The UFT BRAVE Campaign offers tons of anti-bullying resources to parents, students and educators. Those resources include free anti-bullying workshops for PTAs, students or staff. Request a BRAVE workshop now »

Opportunities

• Apply for a job with the U.S. Census Bureau: The U.S. Census Bureau is looking for employees to assist with the 2020 Census count, including Census takers making $25 per hour. These are temporary jobs with flexible hours. Learn more and apply »

• Free help accessing public benefits: The Center for Urban Community Services Benefits Center at the Workforce1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road in the Bronx, offers free, confidential assistance with legal issues, financial management, applications for benefits like Medicaid and SNAP/Food Stamps and tax preparation help. For more information, see the flier in English » or in Spanish »

• Youth Trial Advocacy Program with the Bronx District Attorney: High school students who are Bronx residents are invited to apply for the Youth Trial Advocacy Program. Participants will learn how to review a criminal case and be part of a mock trial competition before an actual judge. The application deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 4, when there will also be a mandatory introductory meeting. For more information, see the flier »

• College help for undocumented students: The New York State Dream Act allows undocumented and immigrant students to apply for state-funded financial aid and in-state tuition at SUNY and CUNY schools. To learn about eligibility and how to apply, see the flier in English and Spanish »